Prime Factors Learning App

An educational application that helps students learn prime factorization through a constructivist approach. The app allows students to explore mathematical concepts like prime numbers and divisibility through interactive trial division.

Learning Objectives

The app supports Common Core State Standards for 5th grade mathematics:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NBT.B.6: Find whole-number quotients of whole numbers
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.B.4: Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication

Students will:

• Explore prime numbers through trial division
• Understand the concept of factors and multiples
• Learn to break down numbers into their prime factors
• Develop number sense and mathematical reasoning
• Build confidence through interactive exploration

Target Audience

• Grade Level: 5th Grade
• Age Range: 10-11 years
• Prerequisites: Basic multiplication and division skills
• Learning Style: Interactive, exploratory

Architecture

The application follows a layered architecture:

1. Presentation Layer

   • HTML/JavaScript frontend
   • Interactive UI for trial division
   • Visual representation of factor trees
   • Real-time feedback on division attempts

2. Pedagogy Layer

   • Tracks student progress
   • Provides hints and guidance
   • Adapts difficulty based on student performance
   • Plans to include personalized learning paths

3. Core Logic Layer

   • Pure mathematical functions
   • Integer validation
   • Divisibility checking
   • Prime factorization algorithms

4. Persistence Layer (Future)

   • Student progress tracking
   • Performance analytics
   • Learning pattern analysis
   • Personalized recommendations

Project Structure

prime_factors/
├── app/
│   ├── api/           # RESTful API endpoints
│   ├── core/          # Core mathematical logic
│   ├── pedagogy/      # Learning state tracking
│   ├── static/        # Static files (CSS, JS)
│   ├── templates/     # HTML templates
│   └── main.py        # Application entry point
├── docs/              # Documentation
│   ├── testing.md     # Testing guide
│   └── todo.md        # Future improvements
├── tests/             # Test files
├── requirements.txt   # Python dependencies
├── README.md         # This file
└── .env              # Environment variables

Setup

1. Create and activate virtual environment:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On macOS/Linux

2. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Set up environment variables:
   • Copy .env.example to .env
   • Adjust values as needed

Development

• Follow PEP 8 style guide
• Write tests for new features
• Update documentation as needed
• Use meaningful commit messages

Documentation

• Testing Guide
• Future Improvements

License

This project is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0). This license ensures that:

• The software remains free and open source
• Any modifications must also be open source
• It's suitable for educational use
• It prevents commercial exploitation

See the LICENSE file for details.